Exile
by LITERARYjunkie25
Summary: "One more word out of you, and you shall be the one in exile." Really, that threat, like the stocks, was starting to lose it's potency. Merlin was willing to risk it.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just my take on what's been happening in the last few episodes. Let it be said that I am currently shipping Arthur/Mithia so bad right now. Sigh. Stupid Gwen. Oh, this is not necessarily Gwen-Bashing, but it's not exactly Gwen friendly...Anyway, on with the show!  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin. Duh.**

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><p>Merlin lay there on his meager bed, contemplating the events of the past few days. Arthur was obviously stressed, over what though, Merlin could only hazard a guess. He was a wizard, but he certainly wasn't psychic.<p>

All he knew, was that Arthur had grown quite fond of threatening Merlin, or any member of the castle, with exile as a punishment. Indeed, since Gwen's departure, 4 more had been banished.

Two manservants for allegedly stealing-no proof found mind you. Arthur simply wanted to send a message.

"Theft will not be tolerated in this kingdom. If my father were here, you would be executed."

Then, an elderly woman who had served in the kitchens had been banished for stealing food. Her children were sick and her husband had fallen on hard times. This time, at the insistence of his uncle, Arthur carried out his sentence.

"Though I sympathize with your plight madame, I cannot feed everyone in the kingdom with the castle's kitchens. You must find a way to make it on your own. Please take your family and leave."

Finally, just last week, Elyan had been banished. This, above all else, incensed Merlin. Arthur claimed he was a risk. After all, Arthur had just banished his sister, ended an opportunity for Elyan to be more closely related to the throne.

Especially following the Druid shrine debacle, Arthur found himself convinced Elyan purposefully disrupted the shrine in the hopes harm would come to Arthur.

When Merlin had learned of Arthur's plans to banish the loyal knight, Merlin used every manner of persuasion in his possession to stop such a thing from happening.

"Arthur, please, you know Elyan would never hurt or betray you. He is most loyal to you and to Camelot. See reason."

Arthur had not seen reason. Instead, he had taken offense to the tone of voice his manservant used.

"Merlin. Believe it or not, _I_ am the king of Camelot. If I desire to take precautions against potential traitors and treason, I will do so. The next time I hear you question my judgement again, _you_ will be the one in exile. Trust me, you wouldn't last, so just fetch me my dinner and be on your way."

There it was again, that ever present threat of exile. Before, Merlin would have laughed it off and continued with his moral ways. However, Merlin was growing more and more concerned that Arthur might actually place him in exile.

Quite frankly, Merlin found the whole relationship rather complicated.

There were many times when the King claimed that he valued Merlin's opinion above all else. That he trusted Merlin above all people.

But then he pledged that same trust in Gwen. And then he threatened to exile Merlin or put him in the stocks whenever Merlin did voice his opinion.

The vicious whiplash Merlin was getting from the young King's moods was starting to put a strain on their relationship.

Merlin found himself getting more and more agitated. Why couldn't the stupid idiot just see that Merlin knew best?

He had thought, for a moment, that the arrival of Princess Mithian would bring about a change in Arthur.

When she arrived, Merlin had seen such a change in his King.

Loathe though he was to admit it, it had been endearing to see somebody _other_ than himself cheering up the King. It had been so long since Arthur had laughed and enjoyed the ritual of courtship.

Gwen seemed to just appear in Arthur's life through happy coincidences, already completed besotted with him. Arthur didn't have to turn on the charm and impress her.

With Mithia, Arthur stumbled his way through conversation and attraction. He had no clue how to deal with someone as assertive and comfortable as Mithia.

He wouldn't admit it, but Merlin had been hoping Arthur would see how happy he could be with a Princess like Mithia. The benefits of their marriage far outweighing a marriage to Gwen-united kingdoms, a true partnership, peace throughout the lands.

Alas, Arthur was never one to let things go unfinished, and things were certainly unfinished with Gwen.

Perhaps after Arthur had found closure with Gwen, Mithia could be revisited...

Shaking himself from his hopes, Merlin still had to think of an adequate solution to his problem.

Arthur was not dealing with his newfound throne well at all. He was leaning heavily on his uncle's every word and piece of advice, throwing people into exile left and right.

Merlin himself had been threatened with exile no less than 10 times in the span of a month. At this point, the threat was just loosing it's potency.

Was exile the new stocks?

Well, Merlin was a man who was well accustomed to dealing with an inappropriately emotional king.

He would simply do his wise manservant routine and convince the king to step up and take care of business.

With a half formed argument, Merlin shrugged on his jacket, and with a hurried "See you!" to Gaius, he scampered out the door and headed for his King's chambers.

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><p><strong>AN2: Thoughts? Please review, already have chapter 2 in the works. Also have a crack fic in the works which should be out in the next few hours maybe? It's that kind of night. Reviews make me type faster!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So, this is definitely taking a life of its own. Not at all where I intended it to go, but there you are. Angsty and probably OOC for Arthur and Merlin, but it's my story, so there :)**

******Disclaimer: Still don't own Merlin.**

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><p>After a brisk walk to the other side of the castle, Merlin found himself standing outside the king's lavish chambers.<p>

Though not one to usually knock, Merlin felt it was best to start this conversation off on the right foot. He _supposed_ a little bit of respect could be shown to his king, but really when he acted like such a clotpole, it was hard to remember he was the King of Camelot.

With a sharp knock, Merlin awaited Arthur's stern, "Enter."

Merlin entered and had to hide his look of surprise when he found Arthur pouring over stacks and stacks of rolled up parchment and scrolls.

He would never get over the image of Arthur reading. It was one of the few images he could still hold on to to make him smile. Few things did these days...

"Merlin? Did you just _knock?_"

"Well, sire, I found that with the presence of the Princess Mithia, you could possibly be entertaining guests. Wouldn't want to walk in on something I am not meant to be privy to."

Okay, so that may have been toeing the line of impropriety, but the image of Arthur muddling his way through kissing Mithia's hand had been rather adorable.

Arthur seemed not to share his sense of humor this morning. Instead, he rose from his chair and took residence in his now familiar spot-the front of the window. Brooding away as usual.

Merlin winced as he realized he had reopened the very can of emotional worms he had wished to avoid for the time being. He knew Arthur struggled with his affection for Mithia and Gwen's betrayal.

Merlin decided it was time to move on quickly. _Right,__time__to__get__this__conversation__rolling._

"Sire. Arthur, you once said that you valued my opinion above all else."

From his window, Arthur slowly nodded, curious as to where his manservant was going with this. He had become more and more brazen with each passing day, something he knew his father would never have stood for.

"It's just that, I've noticed you've been a bit tense these past few weeks, what with everything happening. I'm just worried about you, you're not acting like yourself."

Merlin awaited a reaction of any sort from the unpredictable king.

"Not like myself? Tell me, Merlin, since you know me so well, when have I not acted like myself?"

Merlin knew by the dark tone of Arthur's voice that he was in no mood to have this conversation. Nonetheless, Merlin forged on, knowing he was on thin ice.

"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, sire, but you've thrown 5 people into exile. Five good people, who have worked hard and proven their loyalty to you and their kingdom time and again."

This time, Arthur turned to face his servant.

"Loyal to me? And was Gwen being loyal to me when she betrayed my heart and kissed Lancelot? Was that cook being loyal to the kingdom by stealing from its kitchens? No, Merlin. No, they weren't."

Merlin was ready to answer.

"Perhaps they had one moment of weakness. I recall you going up against your father's wishes and laws many a time."

Arthur looked sharply at him, daring him to continue.

"Do others deserve to be driven from their homes and family when you certainly were not? Away from everything they've ever known? What about those you've exiled on no grounds? What about Elyan? What did _he_ do? What about those servants who were never proven guilty? What did _they_ do? Can't you see, Arthur, you've lost sight of yourself."

He took a deep breath and quickly carried on, seeing the storm brewing in Arthur's eyes.

"You are the once and future king. You are wise and caring and everything the people want. But you need to figure out what it is that's making you act like this, tossing everyone you love aside. If you love Gwen, go find her, bring her back, marry her.

If you desire a chance with Mithia, go find her. But Arthur, if you're not careful, you're going to end up exactly like your father. Everyone will fear you, will fear your exile. You are so much better than that. You can-"

But Merlin never got the chance to finish his impassioned plea. Instead, Merlin got a face full of Arthur, particularly Arthur's hand.

The sting from the slap didn't burn nearly as much as Merlin's humiliation.

No matter how angry Arthur had become, he had never once raised a hand to him. Until now.

Breathing heavily from the exertion of emotion, Arthur spoke in a low, strained voice.

"You have no right. You know nothing. I have allowed you extensive liberties, but perhaps now I realize that I should have squashed that sooner. You do not have a place in my court of advisors. You do not hold some sway over me. This is my kingdom, if I choose to exile instead of execute, then I shall do it."

He continued on. Merlin, stunned though he was, could not manage to turn his ears off and stop listening to the hurt spewing from his king's mouth.

"As for my father, he was a great king. He ruled this kingdom and kept these lands in peace for almost 50 years. I should be honored to be as great a king as he. Now, I suggest you take leave of these chambers and come back with an apology fit for a king or I shall have you exiled, Merlin. Leave."

Merlin stood there, looking at the man whom he shared an entwined destiny with. _This_ was the man he was destined to save and protect?

Merlin feared that Gwen's betrayal, Uther's death, and Morgana's hostility were all too much for a young king to handle.

Perhaps the Arthur he was intended to protect died a long time ago, leaving only a brooding shell of a man.

Either way, Merlin was too powerful and too strong to deal with Arthur's petulant attitude.

"No."

Arthur looked confused, his breathing evening out, his face scrunched up in befuddlement.

"What did you say?"

Merlin, his voice stronger and more assured, replied, "No. If you wish to exile me for speaking as a friend, for speaking as someone concerned, then exile me. Do it. It just may be better out on my own, than dealing with you."

Arthur opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

"Ah, I've stunned you have I? Well, I'll just pack my things and be on my way. You carry on and keep taking advice from your uncle, that's doing you a world of good isn't it? I'll make sure I alert the next manservant you choose that you're prone to violence now, and will strike him down if he speaks out of turn."

Turning his back on his king, Merlin left the lavish chambers and trudged down the eerily empty corridors of the castle.

_Well, that certainly didn't go as expected._

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><p><strong>AN2: Right then, like I said, didn't go as planned and was semi-inspried by my friend's fic Militant Delusionalist's "Trembling" GO CHECK IT OUT.**

_Oh. AND REVIEW. more to come tomorrow? yeah. tomorrow. or later today. or whenever, just review :)_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: WOW. I am so impressed with you guys. Glad to see you are all responding pretty well to this fic! A lot of you are concerned that Merlin and Arthur would never behave this way, that Merlin would never leave him, but I feel like the writers have undone a lot of character development, especially for Arthur, so expect these characters to get a wee bit OOC. **

**Disclaimer: Um, yeah, still don't own. **

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><p>To say Arthur was surprised by the sudden turn of events would have been an understatement.<p>

In short, he was completely flabbergasted. Merlin had never spoken to him that way before. Their relationship had been one of take and give, with Arthur taking and Merlin giving.

It appeared that Merlin thought them friends. _Well, __I __suppose _friend _isn__'__t __far __off. __I__'__m __not __really __sure __what __we __are. __Well, __whateverr __we __are, __he __certainly __has __no__r ight __to __speak __to __me __like __that. __I __am __his __King._

Still, Arthur was unsettled. Running a hand over his haggard face, Arthur collapsed into the uncomfortable wooden chair he had spent so long in this morning.

He had been sent a rather angry letter from Mithian's father, King Fables. The letter had gone on and on demanding to know if Arthur had plans to marry, if he rejected Mithian as a symbol of hostility. He had so many questions and demands that Arthur simply didn't know the appropriate response, mostly because he had no answers himself.

He quite enjoyed his time with Mithian. She was so beautiful and easy going. She didn't fall at his feet in submission, instead opting to hold conversation with him, join him on the hunt. Their brief time had been a partnership of equals.

But he knew it would be wrong to pursue Mithian when his hurt was still hurting. He had to finish whatever this was with Gwen before pursuing anything else.

At the thought of Gwen, Arthur was brought back to the crux of his problems. In conjunction with his father's death and Morgana's betrayal, he had been dealt quite the emotional trifecta.

He had hoped Gwen would have been his shining light in the darkness that had befallen Camelot. Instead, she had proven herself untrustworthy.

He knew he had been a prat the last few weeks, his feelings torn up and all over the place.

The trouble was, Arthur didn't trust himself as king anymore. Merlin had always been by his side, telling him that he could do it. That he was caring and compassionate, but Arthur felt he had been buggering it up since he had taken over.

First, he had made an enemy of Queen Annis by killing her husband. He had almost brought his kingdom to war within the first month of his coronation.

Then, he had to deal with Gwen's betrayal. He thought he was bringing in a kind and loving woman to sit with him. Instead, he found himself alone and queen-less.

Now, Arthur had done the unforgivable. He had turned against his friends. And let's face it, Merlin was one of his only friends and was only speaking out of concern, as he should.

Arthur dropped his head to nestle in his arms. He just needed quiet to organize his thoughts and emotions. He didn't mean to hit Merlin, he never wanted to see Merlin come to harm.

But he was just pushing all the right buttons and Arthur could feel his temper rising. Arthur had always been a happy child, he had never dealt with such negative and acerbic emotions before-that was Morgana's corner of the world.

Still Arthur knew that he needed to beg and apologize to Merlin. He had no right to hit him, no matter how angry he got.

However, Arthur would not condone the way in which Merlin spoke to him. This is the way Arthur would be ruling his kingdom.

With a sigh, Arthur rose from his desk and headed for the physician's chambers. He had a manservant to apologize to.

He thought back to the way Merlin claimed he would willing leave Camelot in a show of uncharacteristic defiance. Arthur let out a bark of laughter, as if Merlin would leave.

Arthur shook his head at the thought of Merlin trying to do something as simple as set up camp and find an appropriate place to settle in. It was laughable, Merlin was just so _Merlin_. Completely lost without the guidance of Arthur.

Arriving at Gaius' chambers, Arthur knocked once before entering. What he found was an irate physician, pacing back and forth in front of his medicinal bench.

At the sound of a knock, Gaius looked up sharply. When he saw who it was, he narrowed his eyes.

"Sire, how can I assist you today?"

Arthur stopped at the coldness in the usually friendly physician's voice.

"Uh, yes, Gaius. I'm looking for Merlin. I need to speak with him."

Gaius pursed his lips. His eyebrow raised as if to ask, "What could you possibly have to say?"

"I believe you have said all that needs to be said, sire. Merlin has just left. He asked me to relate this information to you. Though he did not anticipate you coming down here to find him."

Arthur was flabbergasted. Merlin was gone? His faithful servant who had been there with him for the last four years just gone?

"I don't understand, Gaius. Where did he go? I have things for him to do."

Gaius snorted in a rather un-Gaius like way.

"Merlin came to me about 30 minutes ago and said you had hit him then threatened him with exile. I'm still trying to work out which part you are having difficulty understanding."

Gaius thought back to Merlin's hasty departure.

"_Gaius! Gaius! I need to talk to you!"_

_Merlin had stormed in, face red, eyes wide. _

"_Merlin! What's wrong? You look as though someone's run over your dragon."_

_Merlin fled to his small room and began to pack the few belongings he possessed. _

"_I __can__'__t __do __it __any more __Gaius. __I __thought __he __was __different. __I __thought __he __would __trust __me, __listen __to __me. __No, __all __he __does __is __listen __to __that __prat __Aggravaine. __Well, __if __he __thinks __he __can __just __throw __away __his __friends __when __he__'__s __hurting, __he__'__s __in __for __a __surprise. __Threatening _me _with __exile. __I__'__ve __had __enough.__"_

_Merlin continued his mutterings as he raced around the chambers, filling his small bag with books, trinkets, and other odds and ends. _

"_Merlin, slow down. Talk to me. What has happened?"_

_Merlin stopped, closed his eyes, and took a few breaths, calming himself. When he opened his eyes, Gaius was shocked. _

_Where Merlin had once been an open book of emotion, unable to hide any of his thoughts, Gaius now couldn't find one emotion across the young warlock's face._

_All he found was a steely calm, Merlin's eyes were completely vacant, free of emotion and thought. Gaius found it unsettling to say the least._

"_I went to confront Arthur about his behaviour. I warned him that he would lose all the held dear, that he was turning into his father. I urged him to reconsider his ways. And then he hit me. He hit me, Gaius. I never thought he turn on me. And then he threatened me with exile."_

_Gaius was shocked. _

"_He hit you?"_

_Merlin nodded his head grimly, as if he himself could not quite believe it himself. _

"_And now you are leaving?"_

_Another nod._

"_Are you sure this is what you need to do? What about your destiny? You need to protect Arthur."_

_Gaius placed a comforting hand on the young man he had come to think of as a son. Merlin covered the old man's hand and spoke, _

"_Gaius. I love Arthur, I do. I believe he can be a great king. I can protect him from every assassin, every enemy, but I cannot protect him from himself. Arthur is the one who needs to see how wrong he is. Perhaps my leaving will jumpstart that belief. He once told me he valued my opinion and trusted me above all else, hopefully he will open his eyes and see where he has erred."_

_Merlin looked around at the place he had called home for the last four years. _

"_In __the __mean time, __I __will __leave __Camelot, __at __least __for __now,__and __protect __him __from __those __external __enemies. __I__need __Arthur __to __recognize __what __is __wrong __on __his __own. __I __can _feel _it ,__Gaius. __This __is __the __right __move. __Perhaps __I __have __protected __Arthur __a __little __too __much.__"_

_Gaius looked on at the young man. _

"_Alright, Merlin. I trust you, you know I do. I-I will miss you very much. You know you are like a son to me. Please, please be safe."_

_Merlin finally broke, and reached out for the only father figure in his life. With a fierce embrace to send him off, Merlin picked up his bag and headed for the door._

"_Goodbye."_

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><p><strong><em>AN: WOO. Another chapter. I really appreciate all of you who have reviewed, alerted, favorites, subscribed. DO IT AGAIN :D I need reviews! Another chapter should be up by tonight/tomorrow._**


	4. Chapter 4

"Gone? Just like that?"

Arthur was dumbfounded. He and Merlin had their fights and spats before, but he had never just up and left the castle with no word given, no warning.

The small voice in his head spoke out,_ Yes, but you've never raised your hand to him before have you? Never spoke down to him before, not seriously. You've finally played your king card and look where it's gotten you._

"But...he'll be back, right? I mean, you're here, his position is here..."

_I'm here..._

Arthur shouldn't have felt so surprised at the sentiment. Merlin had always intrigued him. From their first meeting, Merlin had always stated his true opinion, had always been honest with him, regardless of Arthur's kingly (or at the time princely) status.

Merlin had started as nothing more than a puzzle to be solved, a simple manservant. Now, years later, Merlin proved his loyalty, wisdom (though he would never admit that to his face), and true friendship.

Gaius surveyed the emotional king.

The old physician felt torn. On the one hand, Merlin was much like a son to him. Gaius had never felt so much for a person. When Merlin came to him, Merlin was ashamed of who he was and so eager to learn and please. Now, Merlin had found a niche in the castle and fully embraced his destiny, no longer running from it. He only desired to see Merlin happy and healthy.

On the other hand, Gaius had watched over Arthur since he was a baby. When he was younger, he was "Uncle Gaius" who had healed his bumps and bruises. Gaius had, until this point, been incredibly proud of the man Arthur had become.

_Don't forget, he's not the king you had hoped for right now. He needs a little help from Uncle Gaius, one more time._

Clearing his throat, Gaius interrupted whatever inner diatribe Arthur was having with himself.

"Sire? If I may offer some words of advice, if you are amenable to hearing them?"

Arthur looked stricken.

"Gaius, you know I trust your advice and opinion, just as my father did. You need not ask permission to give advice."

"Well, I believe that courtesy was once extended to Merlin, sire, and you see where that has gotten him, your majesty."

Hurt and shame colored the king's face. He looked appropriately abashed and nodded his acknowledgement of Gaius' rebuke.

Gaius continued.

"Perhaps, sire, you should listen to what Merlin has told you. He has never lied to you, never led you astray. You know he cares for you deeply. He is trying to help you. I know how lost you have been since Gwen's betrayal."

Arthur couldn't help the dull ache that spread through his chest at the name of his former fiancée. He was startled to find that the once sharp, overwhelming sense of betrayal and loss had dulled down, leaving only a vague outline of hurt on his heart-a near distant memory.

"Sire-Arthur. Do you remember all those times you came down here when you were younger? Right after those horrid fights with your father? Do you remember what you said to me? You said, 'I will never be like him. He never listens to anything I say. I will always listen to those around me.' You've lost your way Arthur, you've let grief and hurt overtake your natural ability to be a kind and generous king. The incident with Merlin aside, you have been, and I will be speaking frankly sire, you've been a complete idiot. You've tossed members of this staff out of Camelot like you toss out the morning garbage. You've ignored all sense and reason from advisors around you. You've opted to sit and stew in your loss instead of bucking up like the king you are and protecting your kingdom. Do you not see this?"

Arthur looked broken.

"I do, I do see this. But I don't know how to break out of it! I see and hear myself doing these things that are so out of character for me. I feel like my emotions are always simmering on the surface, ready to boil over at a moments notice. I see how much I'm hurting people, but I can't stop. I-I don't know how Gaius. I just feel so lost. My father is dead. The people of Camelot are unsure of my leadership abilities. I feel like I'm warding off assassination attempt after assassination attempt. I'm about to break, Gaius, I can feel it."

Then, softly, "And I'm not sure anyone will be there when I break. No one to pick up the pieces and put me back together."

Gaius' demeanor softened in understanding.

"Arthur, you are a great and kind man. It's true, the fates have not been particularly kind to you. But you will always, always, have me to fall back on. More importantly, you will have Merlin. He will come around, eventually. But Merlin needs to see that you deserve his trust and devotion. Prove to him that you are the king he believes you to be. And if you break Arthur, that's okay. I promise, we will pick you up."

Arthur raised his head to look at his oldest and most trusted advisor. Though Arthur would have sworn it was dust in his eyes or the byproduct of one of Gaius' chemicals, his eyes glistened with unshed tears and unexpressed emotion.

"Thank you, Gaius. I will endeavor to be better. I will show Merlin that I am the man, the king, he believes me to be, that you believe me to be."

And, with a comforting squeeze on the shoulder, Arthur and Gaius became king and physician once more.

"If you see Merlin, if you hear from him, tell him..."

_Tell him I miss him already. Tell him I want to be a better king for him. Tell him I appreciate his friendship and devotion more than he will ever know._

"Tell him I'm sorry and to come home."

With a flourish of his ever present red cape, Arthur left Gaius, who had a pleased smile on his face.

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><p>Merlin had never been more grateful for his time spent as the whipping boy for Arthur and his knights when they went outside the safety of the castle.<p>

Percival had taught him the fastest way to chop wood for fire. Elyan had taught him how to outwit predators. Leon, ever the practical one, spent his time explaining the shortcuts and paths of the forest which would lead to safety. Gwaine, speaking from experience, taught him which berries and plants were poisonous (Gwaine never did finish that story...).

With a pang, Merlin remembered all that Arthur had taught him. None of it relevant to camping. _No_, Merlin thought, _best not dwell on things best left unthought of. At least for now._

Leaving the castle-leaving Arthur-had been one of the most difficult things he had ever done in his life. But, no matter the lingering sadness in his heart, Merlin knew that he was doing the right thing.

Merlin surveyed his camp. It resembled the camp he had helped set up for Arthur and his knights so many times, only much, much smaller.

Merlin took a moment to savor the sound of silence, the lack of needy knights and a hungry king.

With a note of satisfaction, Merlin realized how completely free he felt. He had started his blazing fire with a flick of his hand. He had caught a rabbit with the soft whisper of words. Here, alone in this forest, Merlin was completely free to be exactly who he was.

It was invigorating.

_If Arthur could see me now..._

Once more Merlin closed off all thoughts regarding his king. The sting of Arthur's slap still burned. The bite of his words still rang in his ears.

It all seemed to close in on Merlin at once.

Looking around at the darkening forest and his small camp, Merlin had a sudden bout of absolute self-doubt and terror-heavy emotions indeed.

_What have I done? I just turned my back on my king-on my friend. The way I spoke to him! I abandoned him and our destiny. I abandoned Gaius and my friends. What was I thinking?_

What exactly was his plan? Live out in the woods until word of Arthur's reformation had reached him? Hope that somebody would talk sense into the brooding king?

Leaving the castle had served no purpose, other than shock value perhaps. _Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. I need to go back. Arthur won't survive more than a week the way assassins have been finding their way into the castle. No, tomorrow I shall return. But things will definitely be changing..._

With that thought, Merlin began plotting. Arthur would be completely blindsided by the changes Merlin had in mind for Camelot and for Arthur.

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><p><strong>AN: I am so sorry about the delay between chapters. Just started Christmas break, so resettling back at home! I've decided to drop the Mithian/Gwen triangle and just make that a completely separate fic one day, along with my crack!fic and potentially a post-ep in the works after this weeks episode. REVIEW PLEASE. I'M LOVING the reviews I've received so far! THANKS!**


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